Westby family remembers their daughter with a Sunflower Maze

It’s the end of sunflower season and the Fauske’s farm in Westby should be quieting down but instead it’s ramping up with visitors catching one last glimpse of the rows of yellow sunflowers.

"We come up here the second day we were open…I got up here at a quarter to seven to put the signs up and other stuff up there and there were three vans up here and there were people in the maze. That was pretty cool," said Matt Fauske.

Fauske constructed the maze last year with the help of some friends over a couple of beers. It was meant to honor his daughter Haley who was killed in a car accident two years ago but it’s also helping others cope with loss.

"She come through and she had lost her father in the last week and she was just in tears but she was so thankful that she said she could feel him here. She said I don’t want to take away that it’s your daughter’s maze but I could feel my dad here. That makes me cry," said Matt.

Haley’s death stopped the family in their tracks but in many ways it’s helped them put things in perspective.

Haley’s big sister, Katelyn says she’s moved home.

"I have an amazing relationship with my parents. Better than it was before. I see there’s always something worse in life than what you’re going through now. That little bit in your life that’s not going too well, it could be worse. I see that now. Haley saw that before all of us did. Haley knew that," said Katelyn.

The Fauske family says the sunflowers serve as a reminder for all of us reminding us to live in the now and appreciate your loved ones.

"I told my other daughter I said I wish I would have thought of this when she was alive because I would have plunked her out front and had her sell pumpkins and run the whole thing," said Matt.

The maze continues to attract visitors and despite the nonstop traffic and noise it’s a breath of fresh air for Haley’s sister.

"It’s so nice to hear from people thank you instead of I’m sorry," said Katelyn.

The sunflowers are starting to wilt but that’s not putting a damper on things. The Fauske’s say they are already thinking about the future.

"A lot of people have asked if we are gonna do this next year? I kind of have to now," said Matt.

The maze is open for another week or until the flowers are all gone. The Fauske says everyone is welcome.